random thoughts on the last day of spring

If there is an art to burning a bag of popcorn i have mastered it. it's so disappointing to be anticipating a good bag of popped corn and then you get distracted for a moment and it's in the microwave 10 seconds too long and suddenly it's charred. yet i still sit here munching on it, it's like a sick form of punishment...

Isn't it weird that technically it's still spring? It was 90 degrees today! But if today's the last day of spring, that means tomorrow it's officially summer and i think it's the longest day of the year. i remember when i was little and it would stay light outside 'til 9 o'clock but my mom still made us come inside at 8. it was torture to be laying in bed listening to the neighbor kids still playing outside.

I don't usually like beer. i'm more of a wine and cocktails kind of girl, but Adam and i were at an I-Cubs game last weekend and all i wanted was a cold beer and a bag of fresh roasted peanuts. Seriously, the combination kept me occupied through at least 5 innings. it just tasted so good. you should try it. and i recommend getting a draft of beer rather than the bottles (I think you get more for your money)

I went to the pool for the first time this weekend and it was wonderful. I even got my hair wet, something that doesn't always happen when I go to the pool. (when I tell Adam I'm going to the pool, he always clarifies that I'm not going to swim, I'm going to sit in the sun) this time I did a little of both.

patio gardening

Last summer I dabbled in gardening with a hanging pot and a small basil plant. This year I fell in love with the idea of having window boxes. Adam did a great job making them work on our patio and now he calls me a happy plant mom (the only thing I'll be mothering for awhile) and I'm especially proud of my copper watering can. My next goal is to harvest a tomato (I think my pot may be a little small)

play, repeat

when i find a song that i really like i have a tendency to listen to it over and over and over again. I think I learned this when i lived with Lynn and Laura, they are both known for putting a song on indefinite repeat until it's completely engrained in your mind. (any time i hear a song from Michelle Branch's Hotel Paper I will think of the spring of Jr year in the GK dorms)

Right now I am obsessed with a couple of songs and artists. They are all a result of my trip to LA (Becca's new car includes an ipod hook up so the 3 of us took turns dj-ing as we drove around, gotta love technology)
Check out Tegan and Sara, specifically "Where Does the Good Go" from the Grey's Anatomy Season 1 soundtrack; and Kat Parsons, I love the passion and emotion in her voice and the lyrics. so good (and we actually saw her perform while i was in LA)

total anonymity

I spent some time in various airports on my trip to LA and I realized two things. The first is that while I love to travel with Adam (and we really need to do travel together more often) I love being able to go to the airport on my own and have the freedom to get on a plane and fly halfway across the country all by myself. I feel completely independent. There are many other things that I do that are on my own but I think that because I don't travel that often, that it's kind of a luxury.

I also realized that I love the feeling of not knowing anyone. I had a delay in the Denver airport on my way home and while it was inconvenient that I didn't get back until later than anticipated I suddenly had an hour and a half with nothing to do. It was kind of nice. I wandered around, and found the TCBY (I think all airports have one, and there's something about the combination of airports and frozen yogurt that I find wonderful, I make it a goal to get it at least once on every trip). Then I found a seat and read my book, flipped through a magazine, and worked on a Sudoku puzzle. Some people love to strike up conversations in these kinds of situations, but I tend to stay to myself. I don't think I'm necessarily rude, I just don't go out of my way to share my life story with a complete stranger (and honestly I hope they don't feel the need to open up to me). If someone starts a conversation with me I'll politely chat with them, but it's not my goal to make a new best friend in the airport. Part of it is that I'm selfish, I'll admit it. I want to be left alone. But I also relish the few moments, when I don't have to do anything or be anyone other than the young girl in jeans, with a paperback and a Starbucks. Sometimes that's all I need.

last week at this time...

Whenever I get back from trips I play this little game with myself of remembering where I was or what I was doing "last week at this time." I got back from LA late Tuesday night, and as always it was a great trip. Last Sunday Laura, Becca, and I drove to Santa Monica and walked along the beach before going to a Farmer's Market. It was different than the Des Moines Farmer's Market in that it was smaller and it was all food vendors. But there was live music and big grassy area to sit and enjoy the day. We shared roasted corn on the cob, a 3 pound breakfast burrito, and an amazing strawberry-banana crepe. Then we walked through all the booths and Becca got all kinds of fresh food for dinner (including the biggest carrots I've ever seen, purple potatoes, a flat of strawberries)

We also went to a fabulous flea market on Melrose Ave, took a nap, and went to the night service of the girls' church. I love going to churches in different cities and being able to find a community of believers who are going through the same struggles and trials that I am, but worshiping and depending on the same God.

Then, the highlight of the evening was dinner cooked by Becca. She outdid herself starting with sangria (you can't go wrong with 2 buck chuck, a can of lemon lime soda and lots of oranges and strawberries) and a fabulous salad with avocado and strawberries (from the market of course) followed by chicken sauted with wonderful spices and steamed veggies and crusty bread. Laura and I didn't get to help her bake (we were fighting with the directions for an IKEA console) which is one of my favorite things to do with the girls, but just the act of sharing a meal was wonderful and one of the things I miss the most about having the girls close by.

Other highlights of the week included hiking through Runyan Canyon with Becca (we could walk up to the trails from her apt and it's just kind of like a huge park with some great hiking right in the middle of the city), hiking along Zuma Beach (pics to come), seeing the stars up at Big Bear Lake, and of course just sitting around, drinking wine, and getting ready together.